Jeri Jacquin
Get ready to get your Zen on as directors Charlie Bean, Paul
Fisher, Bob Logan and Warner Bros. bring the fun with THE LEGO NINJAGO MOVIE.
Ninjago is an island filled with townsfolk of all kinds and
all walks of life. At the local high school, Lloyd (voiced by Dave Franco) is
constantly being harassed for the simple reason that his father is Garmadon
(Justin Theroux). Who is Garmadon you ask? Well, he’s ‘The Worst Guy Ever’ who
is always finding ways to use his mechs to wreak havoc on the streets of
Ninjago.
The only way Lloyd can handle being the son of the worst guy
ever is to become part of a group of high school secret ninja warriors. Taught
by his under Master Wu (Jackie Chan), the group consists of Kai (Michael Pena)
the Fire Ninja, Cole (Fred Armisen) the Earth Ninja, Jay (Kumail Nanjiani) is
the Lightening Ninja, Zane (Zach Woods) is the Ice Ninja and Nya (Abbi
Jacobson) is Kai’s sister leaving Lloyd as the Green Ninja.
When Garmadon unleashes Mewothra, Lloyd and the gang must go
on a journey to find a way to stop the destruction of Ninjago. The problem is
that after showdown between brothers; Lloyd is stuck dealing with his Dad!
It is a trip to save their island but Lloyd and Garmadon
discover that for all their years apart, father and son might just have a
chance to make up for lost time. Well, that and dealing with a giant Meowthra
still tearing up Ninjago!
Franco as the voice of Lloyd is a kid who has lived in the
shadow of Garmadon but finds some relief in being the Green Ninja. Everybody
loves the Green Ninja and his flying dragon - it’s too bad they don’t know it’s
the kid they ignore. One thing is sure, when it comes to stubbornness, the Lego
doesn’t fall far form the tree!
Theroux as Garmadon is just completely hilarious and worth
every laugh this character gets. Yes, I realize it’s just his voice but the
delivery is epic and the animators bring it all together and so much so I think
I developed a bit of a soft spot for Garmadon. He’s just another misunderstood
evil warlord who happens to have a magazine rack full of unresolved issues.
Chan as Master Wu is funny, smart and tolerant and all three
make this character a lot of fun to watch. He wants what is best for his nephew
but isn’t going to make the journey an easy one. Did I mention he’s funny?
Pena, Armisen, Nanjiani, Woods, and Jacobson know that it’s
rough to be the son of Garmadon. They are supportive of their friend Lloyd and,
it must be said, they do so enjoy putting on their costumes and using the cool
gear. Getting to know Garmadon is just a bonus for them.
Other vocal cast include: David Burrows as Fuschsia Ninja,
Alex Kauffman as the Ninja Computer, Todd Hansen as General Omar, and Douglas
Nicholas as General Jolly.
TUBS OF POPCORN: I give THE LEGO NINJAGO MOVIE four and a
half tubs of popcorn out of five. I mean come on there people! This is fun,
full of laughs, great characters and has everything LEGO. There is something
for everyone and outrageous humor from start to finish. Watching these Lego
characters is an epic joy every minute the animation is on screen.
Leave it to Jackie Chan’s Master Wu to gives us a few
valuable lessons on accepting ourselves, finding the path that best fits us and
believing that all things are possible. It is all wrapped nicely in another
LEGO adventure.
To be honest here, I knew I would love LEGO NINJAGO because
THE LEGO MOVIE (2014) and THE LEGO BATMAN MOVIE (2017) still have me laughing.
I think I might be a tad partial to Batman but only a tad more. The humor in
these films is nothing short of sharp and there isn’t anything not to like.
Get the family together because this is definitely a film
that is a reason to make visiting your local movie theatre worth every bite of
popcorn.
In the end – find your inner ninja!
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